Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Fumel, located in the Lot-et-Garonne, finds its origins in the 11th century with a tower controlling the passage between the Agenais, Quercy and Périgord. In the 12th century, a dungeon was erected by the family of Fumel, close to the Counts of Toulouse. In 1259, the fief was divided between eight coseigneurs, including the families of Fumel, Montesquieu and Durfort, under the suzerainety of Alphonse de Poitiers. The medieval castle, square with six towers, is taken several times during the Hundred Years War.

In the 15th century, Louis XI authorized Bernard de Fumel to fortify the town and castle, where a house was built east of the dungeon. The medieval castle disappeared under a reconstruction in the 16th century, initiated by François I de Fumel, Baron near Catherine de Medici and Charles IX. This ambitious project, inspired by the castles of Lanquais and Vallery, provides for a plan in H with two courtyards on the terrace, but remains unfinished after the death of François in 1561, killed by Protestants.

In the 17th century, François-Joseph de Fumel replaced the castle, adding a vaulted porch and recomposing the facade of the central wing. The gardens and terraces are fitted out, while remains of the dungeon and medieval house are integrated into the new structures. In the 18th century, Jean-Georges de Fumel called on the architect Jean-Baptiste Chaussard to modernize the interior distribution and create a new garden. The castle then passed to the Langsdorff family, which made modifications in the 19th century, like a balustrade Louis XVI.

The castle, acquired by the municipality in 1951, has been home to Fumel since the 1960s. Ranked a historical monument in 1951, it preserves medieval defensive elements, Renaissance decorations and 17th and 18th century developments. Its architecture reflects successive transformations, from medieval fortifications to classical influences, while overlooking the Lot Valley.

The site, strategic from the Middle Ages, illustrates the religious conflicts of the sixteenth century, with the assassination of François de Fumel by Protestants in 1561, followed by a repression led by Blaise de Monluc. The terraces and gardens, renovated in the 17th and 18th centuries, offer today a panoramic setting on the valley, while the castle remains a symbol of the local historical heritage.

External links